UFC Confirms Title Shot For Patrick Cote

Georges St. Pierre rules the 170-pound welterweight division. And Patrick (The Predator) Cote, GSP’s friend and Montreal training partner, has been granted a crack at the 185-pound middleweight title — probably later this year.

Cote (14-4) earned that Saturday night by winning a split decision over Ricardo (Big Dog) Almeida in the co-main event of UFC 86 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

“He’s getting a title shot,” UFC president Dana White said.

Cote is expected to meet Anderson Silva for the title but there are some hoops for the champion — considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts — to jump through first. Silva is taking on James (The Sandman) Irvin on July 19 in Las Vegas in a light-heavyweight bout. Then he is slated to defend his middleweight title, probably against Japan’s Yushin Okami, at UFC 88 in Atlanta on Sept. 6.